Nowhere is this reality more apparent today than in places like San Diego, California. The forward-thinking San Diego Unified School District is giving their students a huge learning opportunity - and some say advantage - with a robust iPad-based program that has gotten the green light for deployment.

The school district in question has just purchased 26,000 iPads, each of which will be distributed to students in the classroom beginning at the end of this summer as the new school year begins. Although San Diego isn't the first place where this sort of thing has been done, it's never been done bigger anywhere else.

The district is paying for the iPads through Proposition S funding. The measure, passed in 2008 by 69 percent of the vote, specifically sets aside money for "up-to-date classroom technology." At $370, each iPad 2 costs the district about $30 less than the widespread retail price.

According to a local news outlet in San Diego, the Apple tablets will be assigned to classrooms for 5th-graders, 8th-graders and some high-schoolers.

"The more engaging the content is, the more the students want to be in there; They want to be reading, they want to be learning," said Amanda Ferguson, a developer of educational iBooks at Pearson Education.

Wow..now that's what I call furthering education. I hope more school districts adopt this philosophy. If they district cannot afford the tab, have raffle or donation setup for the cause. Education is the most important attribute when these kids get older..if they don't know now, it may be too late when they really need it.

Good points..didn't think about sanitation and ability to take home. Guess they want the parents to take over from their? At the same time not everyone can afford one. Time to have a fund raiser..car wash anyone?

Why? I suppose you think it's best to educate our children with antiquated tools to prepare them for a world filled with mobile devices?

I'm a teacher in a pretty wealthy district and our school board just approved a similar measure where every single student in grades 3-12 will have an iPad by the end of the 2013-2014 school year and I'm pumped. The iPads will basically belong to the students as long as they are enrolled in the school district. When they either move away or graduate they will have the option to buy the iPad.

Originally Posted by Mr. B

Surely the same ends could be accomplished without buying the most expensive tablets on the market.

Our district considered other options. We already have a program where every 6th grader has a Nook, and I believe they considered Kindle Fires instead of iPads for the bigger program, but when you look at the plethora of apps for the iPad it really is worth the extra money if you can afford it. Now, if you run your district hopeless into debt doing it then I agree with you.

Why? I suppose you think it's best to educate our children with antiquated tools to prepare them for a world filled with mobile devices?

I'm a teacher in a pretty wealthy district and our school board just approved a similar measure where every single student in grades 3-12 will have an iPad by the end of the 2013-2014 school year and I'm pumped. The iPads will basically belong to the students as long as they are enrolled in the school district. When they either move away or graduate they will have the option to buy the iPad.

Our district considered other options. We already have a program where every 6th grader has a Nook, and I believe they considered Kindle Fires instead of iPads for the bigger program, but when you look at the plethora of apps for the iPad it really is worth the extra money if you can afford it. Now, if you run your district hopeless into debt doing it then I agree with you.

Exactly,
No other device can compare to the iPad, be honest! Everyone is still playing catch-up while Apple is looking to the future. Like the iPhone XL